To His Mistress Going to Bed, Good Morrow, Corinnas Going A-Maying, an

Seduction in To His Mistress Going to Bed, Good Morrow, Corinna's Going A- Maying, and To His Coy Mistress Throughout time, one of the greatest challenges mankind has faced is the sexual conquest of womankind. In many cultures today, this challenge has evolved into an intricate courting process that often involves buying the woman flowers, gifts, and meals to persuade her to have sex. Another device that a man might use to seduce a woman is poetry. In the English language, the use of poetry to seduce women may be traced back to the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Cavalier poets such as Robert Herrick, John Donne, and Andrew Marvell embrace this method of seduction, carefully constructing verse with the intent to satisfy their carnal desires. Each of these men rely upon several literary tools to manipulate women to fornicate with them. Among the more prominent techniques is the use of logical rhetoric to reason that engagement in sex is the best choice of action. Another device that appears frequently in early seduction poetry is the imperative statement, which simultaneously prompts the woman to take action and endows her with a sense of control over the situation. Functioning in a similar manner, interrogative statements suggest the obvious truth of what the poet speaks while forcing the woman to consider his request. By using a first person plural narrative voice to address the woman whom he hopes to woo, the poet makes her associate herself with him in thought, thereby allowing for an easier transition for personal involvement. Finally, ... ...ional statements, thereby confirming the persuasive nature of these elements upon women. Works Cited Donne, John. "Eligy 19: To His Mistress Going to Bed." The Longman Anthology of British Literature. Ed. David Damrosch. New York: Addison Wesley Longman, Inc., 1999. 1563-1564. Donne, John. "The Good Morrow." The Longman Anthology of British Literature. Ed. David Damrosch. New York: Addison Wesley Longman, Inc., 1999. 1550-1551. Herrick, Robert. "Corinna's Going A-Maying." The Longman Anthology of British Literature. Ed. David Damrosch. New York: Addison Wesley Longman, Inc., 1999. 1579-1581. Marvell, Andrew. "To His Coy Mistress." The Longman Anthology of British Literature. Ed. David Damrosch. New York: Addison Wesley Longman, Inc., 1999. 1628-1629.